Ms Liz McManus, the Democratic Left spokeswoman on health, has warned of a crisis in Dublin hospitals.
"Every hospital in the greater Dublin area was full last night. People are being held on trolleys and in casualty units for an unacceptable period, waiting-lists have grown so much that some consultants are now refusing to accept patients on to their lists. The situation is likely to deteriorate further through the winter," she said. She said the Minister for Health, Mr Cowen, had "virtually disappeared from view". "People want to be assured that something is being done to ease the crisis, yet we have seen or heard little or nothing from Mr Cowen since the Dail adjourned a month ago."